This invention relates to decorative trim pieces for building surface such as walls or ceilings, methods of installing the pieces, and methods of manufacturing the pieces.
Decorative trim is used in several situations, such as used with covings, crowns, or as a cornice (trim at a junction between a ceiling and a wall), as a baseboard, (trim at a junction between a floor and a wall), picture rails, wall panel mouldings, door and window casings, or trims attached to a ceiling. Trim can be attached to adjacent surfaces in a number of ways (typically mechanically fastened and/or glued), and presents a three-dimensional decorative surface to the viewing eye when installed.
Previous trims present complications at corners. The appearance of the trim at the corners when installed depends upon several factors including length of the trim""s pattern repeat, the desired length of coverage, and the accuracy of the mitred cuts at the ends of the pieces of trim at the corner. Ideally, the mitred cuts should meet smoothly and with mirrored edges across the entire surfaces of the two adjacent pieces of trim. For many installers, especially non-professional installers such as people doing their own home renovations, preparing, laying out and installing pieces of trim with adequate mitre cuts is a time-consuming and frustrating exercise, which is not always entirely successful.
The present invention improves on prior trim pieces by providing a trim piece with unitary blocks that form part of the pattern of the trim itself. Each of these blocks will provide at least two faces at angles to each other, one of which is connected to the rest of the trim piece. While pan of the decorative trim piece, the blocks are distinctive parts of the decorative trim, ideally presenting decorative breaks or highlights of the pattern,
In use to cover an inner or outer corner, a trim piece with a block at one end is positioned so that the trim piece is attached to the surface to be covered and the block is positioned so that a face looks down the second surface to be covered by a second trim piece placed to abut the block. In use to turn ninety degrees on the same surface, a decorative trim piece with a block at one end is positioned so that the trim piece is attached to the surface to be covered and the block is positioned so that a face looks down the same surface at a ninety degree angle. A second decorative trim piece is placed to abut the block.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a unitary decorative trim piece for installation on a building surface such as wall or ceiling, the trim piece comprising an elongate member having a central axis and a block at a first end of the member wherein the block has an end face substantially orthogonal to the axis for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are aligned with each other for installation on a common surface.
In a feature of this aspect, the block has an obverse face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned for installation at an inside corner formed at the juncture of adjacent walls, In another feature of this aspect, the block has a reverse face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned for installation at an outside corner formed at the juncture of adjacent walls. In yet another feature of this aspect, the block has a lower side face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned to together form a corner on a common surface. In a still further feature of this aspect, the block has an upper side face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned to together form a corner on a common surface. In still another feature of this aspect, the block has a reverse face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned for installation at an outside corner formed at the juncture of adjacent walls. In yet another feature of this aspect, the block has an upper side face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned to together form a corner on a common surface.
In a second aspect of this invention, there is provided a unitary decorative trim piece for installation on a building surface such as a wall or a ceiling, the trim piece comprising: an elongate member having a decorative obverse face, and a central axis; first and second blocks at first and second ends of the member, wherein each of the blocks has an end face substantially orthogonal to the axis for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are aligned with each other for installation on a common wall; the first block has an obverse face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned for installation at an inside corner formed at the juncture of adjacent walls and has a reverse face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned for installation at an outside corner formed at the juncture of adjacent walls; and the second block has a lower side face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned to together form a corner on a common surface and has an upper side face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned to together form a corner on a common surface.
In a feature of this second aspect, the end face, obverse face, and reverse face of the first block are coincident with first, second and third surfaces, respectively, of a first imaginary rectangular parallelepiped and the end face, the lower side face, and the upper side face of the second block are coincident with first, second and third surfaces, respectively, of a second imaginary rectangular parallelepiped. In another feature of this aspect, the end face, obverse face, and reverse face of the first block are coincident with first, second and third surfaces, respectively, of an imaginary rectangular parallelepiped and the end face, the lower side face, and the upper side face of the second block are coincident with first, second and third surfaces, respectively, of the imaginary rectangular parallelepiped.
In another aspect of this invention, there is provided a unitary decorative trim piece for installation on a building surface such as a wall or a ceiling, the trim piece comprising: an elongate member having a decorative obverse face; and a block at an end of the elongate member, wherein the block has a face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are aligned with each other for installation to form a corner on a common wall.
In still another aspect of this invention, there is provided a unitary decorative trim piece for installation on a building surface such as a wall or a ceiling, the trim piece comprising an elongate member having a decorative obverse face; and a block at an end of the elongate member, wherein the block has a face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned with each other for installation at an inside corner.
In yet another aspect of this invention, there is provided a unitary decorative trim piece for installation on a building surface such as a wall or a ceiling the trim piece comprising: an elongate member having a decorative obverse face; and a block at an end of the elongate member, wherein the block has a face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned with each other for installation on an outer corner.
In an additional feature of these aspects, the ratio of the length of the elongate member in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the elongate member to the length of the block in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the elongate member is at least 12:1. In another additional feature of these aspects, the ratio of the length of the elongate member in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the elongate member to the length of the block in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the elongate member is at least 20:1.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a unitary decorative trim piece for installation on a building surface such as wall or ceiling, the trim piece comprising: an elongate member having a central axis; a first block at a first end of the member; wherein: the first block has an end face substantially orthogonal to the axis for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are aligned with each other for installation on a common surface; the first block has an obverse face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned for installation at an inside corner formed at the juncture of adjacent walls; and the first block has a reverse face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned for installation at an outside corner formed at the juncture of adjacent walls.
In another feature of this aspect, the trim piece further comprises: a second block at a second end of the member; wherein: the second block has an end face substantially orthogonal to the axis for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are aligned with each other for installation on a common surface; the second block has an upper face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned to together form a corner on a common surface, and the second block has a lower face substantially orthogonal to the end face for receipt thereagainst of the end of another trim piece when the pieces are positioned to together form a corner on a common surface.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a commercial package comprising (a) a trim piece and (b) instructions for removing at least one of the blocks thereof so as to provide the elongate member with a free end for abutment with the end face, obverse face or reverse face of the first block, or the end face, the lower side face or the upper side face of the second block, of a second said trim piece.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a commercial package comprising (a) a trim piece and (b) instructions for removing at least one of the blocks thereof and removing part of the elongate member with a square cut so as to provide the elongate member with a free end for abutment with the end face, obverse face or reverse face of the first block, or the end face, the lower side face or the upper side face of the second block, of a second said trim piece.
In yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a commercial package comprising (a) a trim piece and (b) instructions for removing at both of the blocks thereof so as to provide the elongate member with a first free end for abutment with the end face, obverse face or reverse face of the first block, or the end face, the lower side face or the upper side face of the second block, of a second said trim piece and a second free end for abutment with the end face, obverse face or reverse face of the first block, or the end face, the lower side face or the upper side face of the second block, of a third said trim piece.
In yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing trim pieces to form decorative trim on one or more building walls, the method comprising the steps of:
(A) installing a said piece in a horizontal position on a first wall with the first block located at an inside corner formed by the juncture of said first wall and a second wall, and as required, any of the following steps (B) to (F):
(B) (i) removing the first block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the end face of the second block of another piece; and
(ii) installing the uninstalled piece on either the first wall or the second wall in aligned orientation with a previously installed piece and with the free end thereof in abutment with the end face of the second block of the previously installed piece;
(C) repeating steps (B)(i) and B(ii);
(D) removing the second block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the face of another trim piece, and installing the uninstalled piece in a horizontal position on the second wall and with the first free end thereof in abutment with the obverse face of the first block of the piece installed in step (A);
(E) (i) removing the second block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the end face of the first block of another piece; and
(ii) installing the uninstalled piece on either the first wall or the second wall in aligned orientation with a previously installed piece and with the free end thereof in abutment with the end face of the first block of the previously installed piece;
(F) repeating steps (i)(i) and (E)(ii),
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing trim pieces to form decorative trim on one or more building walls, the method comprising the steps of:
(A) installing a said piece in a horizontal position on a first wall with the first block located at an outside corner formed by the juncture of said first wall and a second wall, and as required, any of the following steps (B) to (F)
(B) (i) removing the first block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the end face of the second block of another piece; and
(ii) installing the uninstalled piece on either the first wall or the second wall in aligned orientation with a previously installed piece and with the free end thereof in abutment with the end face of the second block of the previously installed piece;
(C) repeating steps (B)(i) and B(ii),
(D) removing the second block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the face of another trim piece, and installing the uninstalled piece in a horizontal position on the second wall and with the first free end thereof in abutment with the reverse face of the first block of the piece installed in stop (A);
(E) (i) removing the second block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the end face of the first block of another piece; and
(ii) installing the uninstalled piece on either the first wall or the second wall in aligned orientation with a previously installed piece and with the free end thereof in abutment with the end face of the first block of the previously installed piece;
(F) repeating steps (EXi) and (E)(ii).
In yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing trim pieces to form decorative trim on a common building wall, the method comprising the steps of:
(A) installing a said piece in a horizontal position on the common wall, and as required, any of the following steps (B) to (F):
(B) (i) removing the first block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the end face of the second block of another piece; and
(ii) installing the uninstalled piece on the common wall in aligned orientation with a previously installed piece and with the free end thereof in abutment with the end face of the second block of the previously installed piece;
(C) repeating steps (13)(i) and B(ii),
(D) removing the second block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the face of another trim piece, and installing the uninstalled piece in a vertical position on the common wall and with the first free end thereof in abutment with the lower face or upper face of the first block of the piece installed in step (A);
(E) (i) removing the second block from an uninstalled piece so as to provide the elongate member thereof with a free end for abutment against the end face of the first block of another piece; and
(ii) installing the uninstalled piece on the common wall in aligned orientation with a previously installed piece and with the free end thereof in abutment with the end face of the first block of the previously installed piece;
(F) repeating steps (E)(i) and (E)(ii).
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing trim pieces to form decorative trim on the common wall, the method comprising the steps of installing a first said trim piece on the common wall; obtaining a second said trim piece with a free end at the end of the elongate member opposite the block; and installing the second said trim piece on the common wall in position with the first said trim piece to form a corner on the common wall and with the free end of the second trim piece in abutment with the face of the block of the first said trim piece.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing trim pieces to form decorative trim on an inside corner formed by the juncture of a first and a second wall, the method comprising the steps of installing a first said trim piece on the first wall so the block is located at the inside corner; obtaining a second said trim piece with a free end at the end of the elongate member opposite the block, and installing the second said trim piece on the second wall in position to complete the inside corner with the first said trim piece and with the free end of the second trim piece in abutment with the obverse face of the block of the first said trim piece.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing trim pieces to form decorative trim on an outer corner formed by the juncture of a first and a second wall, the method comprising the steps of: installing a first said trim piece on the first wall so the block is located at the outside corner; obtaining a second said trim piece with a free end at the end of the elongate member opposite the block, and installing the second said trim piece on the second wall in position to complete the outside corner with the first said trim piece and with the free end of the second trim piece in abutment with the reverse face of the block of the first said trim piece.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a unitary decorative trim wherein the elongate member and block are formed as a single piece. In another feature of this aspect, the unitary decorative trim is made by an open cast molding process. In still another feature of this aspect, the unitary decorative trim is made by an injection molding process. In yet another feature of this aspect, the unitary decorative trim is from polyurethane.